Russia's second largest city, St. Petersburg, is one in a group of seven cities that are frequently called “The Venice of the North”; it shares this title with Amsterdam, Bruges, Copenhagen, Hamburg, Manchester, and Stockholm. All these cities are located in Northern Europe and have a network of canals like Venice.
The city remains Russia's cultural centre, with venues such as the Mariinsky Theatre featuring opera and ballet, as well as the State Russian Museum displaying art ranging from Orthodox icons to works by Kandinsky. St. Petersburg is home to The Hermitage, one of the largest art museums in the world.